Youโre young, youโre free and youโre full of potentialโand you donโt want to struggle financially. Jobs that pay 40k a year or more provide a path to financial independence and can make things like homeownership a reality. But what are these careers, and what does it take to get into them?
If youโre on the hunt for a job that pays well, weโve got ten of the most lucrative careers for young people. Weโll also list the qualifications youโll need to attain to land your perfect positionโso you can know what to expect.
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What Makes a Great Career Choice?
According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Developmentโs 2018 Program for International Student Assessment survey, young peopleโs aspirations havenโt really changed since the turn of the century. Back in 2000, 6.8% of 15-year-old boys wanted to be business managers when they grew up, for instance. Fast forward to 2018, and 6.7% of the boys in the same age group still wanted to be business managers when they grew up.
Girls shifted a little moreโbut not much. In 2000, 11.1% of 15-year-old girls wanted to be teachers and 11% of girls wanted to be doctors when they grew up. In 2018, 9.4% of girls wanted to be teachers and 15.6% of girls wanted to be doctors when they grew up.
Why do young people want to be doctors and teachers and business managers in the first place, though? According to research by one UK-based law firm, the answer often revolves around TV. A staggering 39% of millennial respondents said that their career choices had been influenced by their favorite television showsโespecially cop or medical shows.
So, do available vacancies match job preferences? According to the International Labor Organization, the answer is no. Automation and robotics aside, there simply arenโt enough jobs in certain sectors to meet demand.
10 Great Jobs That Pay 40k a Yearโor More
Sure, there might not be enough jobs to go around in your chosen field. But that doesnโt mean that there arenโt other great options out there! Here are ten of the best high-paying jobs for young people in America today, complete with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported median wages.
1. Graphic Designer
Do you appreciate engaging visual ads, eye-catching book covers and interesting websites? Are you artistic and digitally savvy? If so, a career in graphic design could be ideal for you. Graphic designers in the US earn about $53,380 a yearโand more than half of the design professionals who took part in a 2020 99Designs survey were under the age of 30.
Some design pros are self taught, but most attend college and obtain bachelorโs degrees in graphic design. Professional associations like AIGA provide educational resources and offer good advice to people considering graphic design careers.
2. Truck Driver
Letโs switch gears. If youโre not digitally inclined but you love drivingโand 18 wheels donโt intimidate youโyou might make a great truck driver. Trucking is a vital part of the economic distribution network in America and itโs expected to grow about 2% between 2019 and 2029, so you could land a job for life. Long-haul truckers earn about $47,130 a year, according to the BLS.
To get a tractor-trailer trucking job, youโll need to attend a professional trucking school and youโll also need to get a commercial driverโs license, or CDL. Additional endorsements are required if you plan to transport volatile or dangerous materials.
3. PR Specialist
Public relations specialists smooth out PR snafus, develop public opinion-bending strategies and do behind-the-scenes damage control. If youโre a problem solver with a head for high-intensity situations, youโll probably do well in PR. Youโll collaborate with journalists, social media managers and executives on a daily basis.
Public relations specialists in America make about $62,810 a year, and most of them have a bachelorโs degree in PR, journalism, English, business or another related subject. The PR specialist field is projected to grow about 7% between 2019 and 2029โin other words, well-paying positions abound.
4. Surgical Technologist
Healthcare in general is an expanding industryโin fact, itโs the biggest employer industry in the US. The demand for surgical technologists is expected to grow about 7% between 2019 and 2029. Surgical technologistsโaka scrub techsโwork in operating rooms under the guidance of surgeons. They help medical procedures flow smoothly and ensure a high level of patient care.
You donโt need a bachelorโs degree to be a surgical technologist. Instead, you can go for an associates degree or complete a certificate program at an accredited school. Qualifications in place, you can expect to earn about $49,710 a year.
5. Biological Technician
If you love science, you might make a great biological technician. Biological technicians are a vital part of research teamsโin the field and in the laboratory. In 2020, biological techs all over the world assisted with vital COVID-19 research and helped develop life-saving coronavirus vaccines.
To become a biological technician, you need a bachelorโs degree in biology or a similar subject. After you graduate, youโll earn about $46,340 a year. Some biological technicians later complete masterโs degrees and go on to become research scientists.
6. Physical Therapist Assistant
Physical therapist assistants work with physical therapists, and together, they help patients recover from injuries and operations. To become a physical therapist assistant, youโll need to complete an accredited associateโs degreeโand youโll also need to get licensed in your state.
Physical therapist assistants can expect to earn about $49,970 a year. The number of physical therapist jobs is projected to grow 29% between 2019 and 2029, so youโll almost certainly land on your feet after you qualify.
7. Forensic Scientist
Hereโs a job straight out of the CSI archivesโonly not quite as dramatic. As a forensic scientist, youโll be responsible for gathering evidence and drawing conclusions based on DNA, fingerprints, data and other clues. If you have an analytical mind and a good memory, you might make a great forensic scientist.
To get a forensic scientist job, you need a bachelorโs degree in chemistry or biology with a specialty in forensic science. According to the BLS, forensic science technicians usually get paid about $60,590 a year.
8. Licensed Practical Nurse
Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) perform basic nursing duties under the supervision of doctors and registered nurses. They work in hospitals, residential care facilities and home settings, where they take care of sick, injured, elderly and disabled people. About 8.9% of LPN respondents in the National Nursing Workforce Survey 2017 were under the age of 30.
You donโt have to be a registered nurse to bring home a good wageโLPNs in the United States earn about $48,820 a year. Demand for LPNs is expected to grow roughly 9% between 2019 and 2029.
9. Insurance Salesperson
Insurance is a booming industryโespecially in the United States. Health, home, life, car, pet, occupational and many other types of insurance are in high demand across all 50 states. If youโre personable and enjoy working in an office environment, you might enjoy being an insurance salesperson.
While some insurance sales reps have bachelorโs degrees, many enter the field with high school diplomas and progress via on-the-job training. In May 2019, insurance sales agents brought home a median annual wage of $52,180.
10. Occupational Therapist
Occupational therapists (OTs) help people deal with, adapt to and overcome all kinds of disabilities. The goal of an OT is to help patients complete everyday tasks and live as independently as possible or return to work or other daily activities. OTs work in hospitals, residential care facilities, schools and home settings.
Occupational therapists are the highest earners on this list. On average, OTs earn $86,280 a yearโand the number of OT jobs is expected to expand about 16% between 2019 and 2029. To become an OT, you need a bachelorโs and a masterโs degree in occupational therapy, and you also need to obtain a state license.
How to Get a $40,000+ Job
Youโve gone over your options and picked a great careerโnow itโs time for an action plan. Hereโs what to do next:
- Make a list of the qualifications you have to obtain to get a job in your chosen profession.
- View accredited colleges, available online degrees, certificates and courses with Coursera.
- Research student loans, government grants, scholarships and other forms of funding to come up with a payment strategy for your schooling.
- Study hard, get your qualifications and graduate.
- When youโre ready, use ZipRecruiter or Monster to hone your resume and find available jobs in your area.
It might feel like a lot to tackleโespecially studying and graduatingโbut a great job is worth pursuing. Feeling inspired about your future? Great, you should be! When you do what you love, how much money you make isnโt as importantโbut earning a decent wage definitely doesnโt hurt.
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